Flashability
Section Overview
This page is an general overview of what web accessibility is and why web designers and developers need to be aware of it. After reading this section, you should understand why accessibility is important on the web and be able to identify some major reasons.
Accessibility has become a significantly more prominent issue in web development over the past decade. Accessibility refers to a person’s ability to access a website or web content over the Internet. People with physical or neurological disabilities often find it more difficult to access such content because of their condition. These conditions could include anything from blindness to decreased hearing. Depending on an individual’s disability, specific types of content may become inaccessible. A good example of this would be a blind person trying to access an article from a news website. Assuming the article is only available in a textual form, this person would not be able to view this content.
Fortunately, for people with such disabilities, developers have been making additional efforts to provide equal opportunity to web content. Simple adjustments like font and color choices can instantly make a huge difference. Aside from the typical aesthetic adjustments however, additional technologies can be utilized as well. Screen readers are a popular example of such a technology. This type of software is able to “read” the textual content within a webpage and then audibly repeat it to the user. Screen readers are essential to people with severe visual impairments. Allowing websites to work properly with such technologies is extremely important. In 2006, the UN even recognized web accessibility as a basic human right at the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This creates a legal initiative for companies and organizations with a web presence to adopt accessible web development methods.
Legal initiatives aside, other opportunistic reasons for developing for accessibility on the web do exist. In recent years, the world has seen a boom in mobile media. Every new technology we see being advertised relates to mobile devices. Developers constantly need to be concerned with mobile compatibility, especially since the 2007 release of Apple’s iPhone. The iPhone, among others like it, brought consumers the ability to browse the Internet, make phone calls, play games and use applications on the same portable device. The best way to ensure that your website or web application will function properly on mobile devices, it is best to follow standard accessibility practices.